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Some might bill the Eastern Conference final as the star-laden Pittsburgh Penguins against the deep Boston Bruins, but that does both teams a bit of a disservice.

The Penguins might roll with the likes of the league’s best player in Sidney Crosby, former MVP Evgeni Malkin, Norris Trophy finalist Kris Letang and former 50-goal scorer Jarome Iginla, but they also have a very solid third line and a serviceable fourth line.

“In my mind, they’re almost like the Miami Heat of the NHL with all the star power that they’ve got,” said Bruins forward Milan Lucic in comparing the Penguins to the NBA powerhouse. “Probably the two best players in the world, a 40-goal scorer, a former 50-goal scorer, future Hall of Famer, and a Norris Trophy candidate are on their team. They definitely have a lot of weapons.

“In saying all of that, I think what makes them successful is they play real well as a team and that’s what you’re going to see going into this next series, two well-rounded teams going at it.”

The Bruins have their own legitimate stars in the likes of defenceman Zdeno Chara and solid if underrated two-way centres in Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci. Goaltender Tuukka Rask matched the excellence of New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist as the Bruins eliminated the Blueshirts in five games and, after a shaky Game 4, Rask bounced back with a big game in Game 5.

The Bruins also have the emerging star of these Stanley Cup playoffs in rookie defenceman Torey Krug, who made his playoff debut to start the series after a series of injuries on the Bruins’ blue line and wound up being a key player in the B’s win. He scored four goals in the series, three of them on the power play.

“They played really well. It’s funny how it works, huh?,” said New York Rangers coach John Tortorella after his club was eliminated in five games . “You’re worried about this, that and the other thing and especially the kid there, Krug, they got a lot of offence from their backend and he led the way. It’s funny how it works as guys come into lineups.”

What carried the Bruins to the win over the Rangers was their fourth line of centre Gregory Campbell, with wingers Daniel Paille and Shawn Thornton.

They helped set up and score two goals, including the winner, in Game 3 to put the Rangers on the brink.

They combined for 10 points in the five games.

“We’re known as a team that rolls four lines. I’m not a coach that rolls four lines because I want to roll four lines,” said Bruins coach Claude Julien. “I roll four lines because I know I’ve got the depth to roll four lines.”

The Bruins’ depth was a big advantage over the Rangers, but that won't be the case against the Penguins.

I'll still take the Bruins fourth line over whatever the Penguins can throw out there with the likes of Tyler Kennedy, Joe Vitale, Craig Adams, Tanner Glass or Jussi Jokinen, but the gap is considerably narrower compared to the Rangers.

“I think Boston has a really good chance,” said Tortorella. “I think Claude and his staff has done a heck of a job with their club. I can’t believe some of the people, how they second-guess him, just being in the city for a few days and the type of job he’s done here.

“That’s a good team. They’re very well-coached. They’re seasoned. They’ve been through it before and I give them a lot of credit as far as what they’ve done with their club. They’re a good hockey team.”

It comes down to the way it should be, the two best teams in the Eastern Conference, both recent Cup champs (2011 for the Bruins and 2009 for the Penguins) battling for a chance to go to the Stanley Cup final.

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Bruins' Lucic: Penguins are the Miami Heat of the NHL

Some might bill the Eastern Conference final as the star-laden Pittsburgh Penguins against the deep Boston Bruins, but that does both teams a bit of a disservice.

The Penguins might roll with the likes of the league’s best player in Sidney Crosby, former MVP Evgeni Malkin, Norris Trophy finalist Kris Letang and former 50-goal scorer Jarome Iginla, but they also have a very solid third line and a serviceable fourth line.

“In my mind, they’re almost like the Miami Heat of the NHL with all the star power that they’ve got,” said Bruins forward Milan Lucic in comparing the Penguins to the NBA powerhouse. “Probably the two best players in the world, a 40-goal scorer, a former 50-goal scorer, future Hall of Famer, and a Norris Trophy candidate are on their team. They definitely have a lot of weapons.

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There wasn't much left of Daniel Briere's voice. The veteran Montreal Canadiens forward had been turned into a cheerleader, sitting on the Canadiens bench for most of the third period of their Game 7 victory over the Boston Bruins, cooling his heels despite having set up the crucial first goal two minutes into the game.